Transcendental Meditation (TM) is one of the most commonly practiced meditation techniques. The process is rather simple: sit with your eyes closed for 15-20 minutes, twice a day. During TM, ordinary thought processes slow down, and “a distinctive wakeful hypometabolic state characterized by neural coherence and physiological rest is achieved.” (Duraimani et al, 2015) As part of the large body of research on the benefits of TM, it has been shown that TM has positive effects on physiological stress markers. But to date, no study has looked at whether TM has any effects on hypertension, or high blood pressure (BP). Well, until Duraimani and colleagues (2015) published the results of their recent study in the journal PLOS ONE.
Before talking about the study and its findings, it’s important to remember that hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Interestingly, hypertension is 48% higher in the African-American community, a fact that goes some way in explaining the 50% higher mortality rate from cardiovascular disease (CVD) suffered by African Americans. Psychological stress is likely the key in accounting for the higher rates of hypertension and CVD among the African-African community.
But what’s the biological mechanism that leads to hypertension and CVD? One such mechanism gaining in popularity is telomere dysfunction. Think of telomeres as the plastic tips at the edge of shoelaces, and shoelaces as chromosomes. Just like shoelaces fall apart without plastic edges, DNA strands get damaged and cells can’t do their job without telomeres. In fact, the literal shrinkage of telomeres has been proposed as a fundamental mechanism involved in the process of aging itself.
And so, in addition to looking at BP levels, you can also look at telomerase gene expression in order to detect changes in BP among people with hypertension. And that’s exactly what Duraimani and colleagues did in their Transcendental Meditation study. Basically, they took 48 African Americans with stage I hypertension, and they split them into two groups depending on treatment procedure. One group underwent a 16-week TM stress-reduction program, and the other a 16-week extensive health education program (EHE) consisting of lifestyle changes alone. Both groups had their pre-study BP levels and telomerase gene expression measured, to be compared with post-study measures.
Did TM lower BP levels, and was there increased telomerase gene expression among the TM group? Absolutely. Not only was there a significant reduction in systolic BP among the TM group, but there was also a significant increase in hTR and hTERT, both components of telomerase gene expression. Interestingly, these same results applied to the EHE group as well, indicating that relevant lifestyle changes in the absence of TM can also reduce BP levels. While there were no major differences between the two groups—i.e., neither intervention fared better than the other—both interventions were found to be promising for treating hypertension.
So add another item to the list of benefits derived from TM. That TM reduces stress and is associated with positive changes in physiological stress markers is largely accepted. And thanks to its stress-reducing properties, TM leads to lower BP among people with hypertension, and thus a lower risk of CVD. Biologically, the mechanism is likely at the level of telomerase gene expression, with TM producing increased levels of hTR and hTERT. Just as lifestyle changes—lower sodium intake, exercise, reduced alcohol consumption, etc—lower BP and lead to better health outcomes, so does TM. Another reason, then, for you to sit back and close your eyes for 15-20 minutes, twice a day. You’ll be considerably better off in the long run.
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